Settling into my cool new place

This week my blog will be short and sweet as there is not much to say about my move. It all went reasonably smoothly given the circumstance (5 flights of stairs, no elevator, a very expensive dance floor to avoid and two-middle aged Egyptian men doing the work). It was a strange experience watching all of my belongings being loaded onto the back of a truck and strapped down - disconcerting to say the least, lest a stray kitchen appliance or suitcase should fly off the back and onto the road below – but nothing went amiss. Rami and I climbed in the front seat next to the driver and two removal men sat out the back with my belongings to guard them and off we went to my new place.

Once there I learned one valuable lesson that I must pass on. It happened when my fridge door got bent out of shape during all the carrying (it got bent very quickly back into shape when they saw the look of pure anger on my face!). When trusting workers or labourers such as removal men make sure that you are present at all times for fear of anything being broken, lost, damaged or taken. Please don’t think I am branding all Egyptian workers as vandals or criminals, not at all, it’s just the laws and policies over here are vastly different from many other parts of the world. In England, for example, “the customer is always right”: If you move house with a legitimate company and your furniture gets damaged in the process you can usually request compensation with no questions asked. Here, there seems to be a very different approach to legality and customer rights. If you can’t prove that the worker damaged your property- intentionally or otherwise (i.e. by being there to witness the breakage) – they have every right to say “it was like that before I touched it” and you will be left with their mistake to clear up.

This theory applies to almost everything, from faulty goods to renting apartments; without tangible proof (and sometimes even WITH tangible proof) you cannot get anywhere, even if the product was broken when you bought it. So remember to keep all of your receipts and to be safe, especially when buying good like electricals, test them in the shop whenever possible before you part with any money. Also, the easiest way to cope with the large and very obvious difference in the standard of electrical provision in this country compared to many Western places is just to accept that it is inevitable, and be vigilant and sensible when using your appliances. Only this morning I had to stop drying my hair and unplug everything because the adaptor plug was smoking silently whilst I was using it. I do not know of many people, especially my fellow expats here at IH Cairo ILI who have not had some kind of electrical problem whilst here - from exploding heaters to melted plug sockets.
As for returning something simply because you didn’t like it, I haven’t tried but I would tend to advise playing it safe and not spending lots of money unless you really want the product because I doubt a lot of places will understand the concept of a money back guarantee for unwanted items!

I suppose this cautious method does have its good points- it protects the businessman from being subject to policies that solely advantage the customer (a trait which is becoming rather too overplayed in my home country nowadays with a huge amount of people abusing the system and expecting far too much for their money.) However, it nevertheless is a little irritating in circumstances which are genuinely beyond your control.

Regardless of these words of caution, the vast majority of Egyptians that I have encountered in my time here so far have been honest, friendly and very competent; I find their approach to their jobs refreshingly laid back, most likely I imagine because they are not bound by the same restrictions and bureaucracy that we are bound to back home in England, where you need to have “correct training” just to climb a ladder or lift a box and where you can probably claim compensation for breaking a finger nail at work as long as you have the right lawyer. In Egypt, a plumber thinks nothing of hanging out of a window using just his fingernails in order to fix a toilet. I am sure that if they knew the kind of processes that some other countries have in place Egyptians would scoff us foreigners for being ‘wrapped in cotton wool’ and not being able to stand up for ourselves. Here, as long as one learns some tricks of the trade (always be present when they are working, learn a few important words such as ‘no tip if you break it’ and be strong enough to get a bit ferocious with people who mess you around) and become a bit savvy, it is easy to survive. In fact, the stark lack of systems and the reliance on the common sense of the individual and their ability to know their own personal limitations may even be a refreshing break from the regulated society that so many of us live in back in our home countries.

Relocation, Relocation, Relocation

January has brought some change to my little life here in Cairo. Suffice to say that for a number of reasons – including the stresses of the daily commute (if you don’t know what I am talking about, check out blog number 3) I am moving house! Over the weekend I signed a contract for a room in a house-share a mere 30 minutes walk from IH Cairo ILI, bliss!

So with all of this excitement I thought I would make this entry about my experience of flat hunting in the capital; I figure this is something that lots of people will experience when they move here so they may be able to relate to some of this!

I was specifically looking for a flat share because rent on a whole flat anywhere else other than the place I am already staying (a flat owned by a family friend of my boyfriend) would be extremely expensive. Before you ask, I am not and will not be sharing a flat with my boyfriend for the foreseeable future. For those who are not so up-to-speed about Egyptian customs (I am becoming a positive guru) the concept of an unmarried couple of any nationality living together (or even spending time alone together) is still very unconventional to many Egyptians.  Rami, an Egyptian, and I living together could therefore be seen as breaking every rule in the book and as such it is simply out of the question for us to find a flat and move in together. However liberal my boyfriend is, the move would bring more complications than I am prepared to face. For me as a foreigner, used to different social customs, I confess it is sometimes difficult to understand  and navigate such cultural expectations.

After making the decision to leave the next step was to find a place, so where did I look? Well after hearing horror stories from my boyfriend I was a little tentative about how to handle the situation and who to trust. Apparently his friend had an experience with a very dishonest landlord who allowed his current tenants to give their spare room to a friend. However, due to an absence of a contract the landlord was at liberty to do as he wished and once the new flatmate had moved in, the miser found someone else who would pay more money and promptly kicked the poor guy straight back out. Not a good situation and I am sure it is a rare occurrence however it does highlight the need for careful elimination of flats in which you do not deal directly with the owner, agent or landlord. It also shows that it is imperative to have a contract signed by both parties (and not in Arabic!).

IH Cairo ILI do have an number of agents and flats on their books who are tried, tested and as a result trusted so potential students can come to us as a first port of call. However, I ended up finding mine online in the end. There were just a couple of websites out of the hundreds I clicked on that I thought seemed trustworthy (http://cairo.craigslist.org/hsw/ and http://www.expatriates.com/ are the ones I used). My opinion of ‘trustworthy’ is influenced by things like how up to date the posts are and the reliability of the search engine. Usually I steer away from websites that are not very attractive in their design as they often seem tacky but surprisingly the flat I chose in the end was off of expatriates.com, which is not very sophisticated at first glance to be honest . 

There seemed to be very few realtors online who I could search with, apart from expensive ones for the wealthy, which clearly I am not! One website that springs to mind is www.asapeg.com. This site deals with expats and has flats to suit all budgets although no house shares to speak of. I liked using this guy because he had instant messenger and the option to keep in touch via text, so he is available for almost instant feedback to an enquiry. I didn’t find anything with him though, and also the other pointer that is worth mentioning with all agencies is that they take a very large cut of your money for their fees, so don’t get stung.

I think I felt happier searching freely online because I had my boyfriend with me for protection –mainly from people who wanted to rip me off really but also for any potential creeps, stalkers or otherwise, who  may dwell in the land of the rental apartments! Although most classified adverts seem legitimate you just never know who you might come across, and for this reason I would strongly suggest that if moving without a contact in the city such as a friend, family or an institution like IH Cairo ILI, that you do what my colleague did and talk to a relocation service for advice. I haven’t got any good ones to hand, however a quick Google search brings up loads.

So in order to find a nice place within my budget and in which I would not be lonely I opted for a flatshare. After some considerable effort and a lot of Googling, I've found the perfect escape in a lovely flat with another girl. It has a fully fitted kitchen, a roof terrace with a view of Cairo Tower, space for guests to sleep and a dance studio (yes you read correctly, one side of the living room is entirely made out of mirror and if we feel inclined as such we can rent the space out and have free dance classes on our doorstep!)  I move in next week and I can’t wait! I believe I may be the envy of quite a number of people with my cool new hippie-esq pad! The main requisite for my new flat was that the landlord had to be happy with Rami visiting and الحمد لله ('Elhumdulaley' which means Thank God and is a very common word in Arabic!) the landlady is very open minded, although even now there are still a few restrictions and rules.  Only 2/5 landlords out of the flats I looked at would have allowed me to have a male visitor, let alone an Egyptian male.

Suffice to say, once safely ensconced in your new home there is still much fun to be had learning how to deal with landlords who may be reluctant to cooperate in your smooth settling. In my current place I have had to take the flat with all its teething problems including burst pipes, dodgy boiler, broken oven and a temperamental toilet to name but a few. In fact I have learnt so much about how to fix all of my various amenities that I am thinking of offering my services around Cairo as a part-time plumber! If it wasn’t for the negotiating skills of Rami’s father I probably would have had to dig into my own pocket to pay for these repairs as well and as a result there is a clause in my new contract to protect me from paying for anything that happens that is beyond my control.

I have heard similar stories about absent or nonchalant landlords from around the college (for example those who do not seem to think that a leaky light fitting coming from the floor above is in anyway dangerous at all!) I think that these are tales for another time however. Right now I am looking forward, not back, to the big move next week. I will have to blog about how it goes- I sincerely hope that the removal men don’t dent my bed!

My flat has a view of Cairo Tower
In the age of attribution , this image needs to be (c) to "flyvancity"

Winter is here and the moquitoes have fled!

We are now in mid-January and winter in ا لقاهر ة  (Cairo) has set in hard and fast. On Friday there came grey sky and rain,  and in El Maadi,(one of the only places I have found with greenery in vast quantities), the leaves were actually falling off of the trees!The weather at the moment resembles English Autumn (or ‘Fall’) and,  as I said in my first blog, it really does get cold in Egypt. One of the girls at work said she heard that in Alexandria, up in the North of the country by the Mediterranean Sea, there had actually been snow! Do consider this when packing to come for a winter break.  Although it is nowhere near as frosty and freezing and places like England the chill can still get to you and you will need long sleeves and layers.  As someone coming from a country that is prepared for cold weather, what gets to me most is how cold it is inside the buildings. I am currently sitting at my desk in a jacket and scarf, rubbing my hands to stop them from getting stiff with the cold! All the buildings in Egypt are geared up to be cool in the heat of the summer; unfortunately this does however mean that in winter the lack of central heating, fitted carpets and double glazing (to name but a few of the ways we keep our houses warm in the UK) allows heat to escape very quickly!

For all the ladies out there who love the comfort of cuddling up to a hot water bottle in slippers and a dressing gown, bring it all from home! Most pharmacies sell the rubber hot water bottle (information about pharmacies below) but no one seems to understand the concept of a cover, which I find very odd. Rami brought me a hot water bottle, but to stop it burning my skin and make it nicer to cuddle I had to fashion a make-shift cover out of a cuddly toy duck! Don’t ask me how but it works perfectly! 4 bar heaters and fan heaters are available as well, to give the room some heat, but the effectiveness of these in comparison to the amount of power that they use up, in my opinion, is debatable.

In these few short months there seems to be far fewer people out and about, especially in the cafes and restaurants in which the seating is primarily outdoors. I wish I could say that  a hardened ‘Brit’ like me, used to the cold, would be different, however I have never truly made my country proud when it comes to bearing the winter weather, and I am as much of a wimp as the next person! However, don’t give up on going out and socializing just because it is cold, as there are still lots of options. Many reputable cafes (at the moment we are favouring ‘Armada’ on the Nile in El Maadi) will have a good stash of outdoor heaters, which allow you to sit outside in relative comfort. There are also all the usual indoor options such as cinemas, bowling, sports facilities and coffee shops. In fact a foreigner can have a fab time in Cairo relatively cheaply whatever the weather as long as they know where to go (and exchange rates dependent!). Most places are easy to find through Google or just Word of Mouth from other students at IH Cairo ILI and other more seasoned expats for example.

Mosquitoes

The one bonus about the cold weather is that it seems to kill off most of the mosquitos; well I at least haven’t come across many recently, and they do seem to seek me out somewhat.

I have heard more than one person complain about the huge welts that form when they are bitten by these little delights. I have no idea whether it is something in the venom, or maybe it is because the last thing they were munching on was a stray dog. Whatever it is, these things are evil! The good thing is, they do not carry malaria- that would just about top off the horror of being bitten by one! The little critters are unlike any other mosquito I have ever come across. They are totally silent when they fly- unlike the English version that produce an annoying buzz  to irritate you and put you on your nerve. However, unlike the English version, which I have always found pretty nippy and a pain to find and kill, the Egyptian mosquitos are ‘thick as two short planks’ and sort of waft around the room in full squashing range most of the time. I think I racked up a total of about half a dozen mid-air kills in the first 6 weeks of my time here.

In essence, mosquito bites are best avoided. I do seriously urge anyone visiting to wear a good insect repellent when out at night. I brought Jungle Formula from home and it seems to work well. I also hear (but have not yet had the courage to try) that Avon’s Skin So Soft is also an unsung hero in the repellent market. I have brought some of this from home and when I try it I will document the results!

In Cairo there are lots of sprays and various products available to help get rid of these little blighters and to help soothe and heal the after effect of a bite. The effectiveness compared to the expensive British stuff is questionable but it’s worth experimenting with a variety of different methods. For example, the Raid aerosol spray seems to work pretty well to get rid of mosquitoes in your house- you have to shut the doors and give it time to work. You can mix this with plug in vapourisers or even the blue insect lights that attract and zap insects.

For your skin, if you don’t bring any spray-on products from home then cans of stuff like Off are readily available. Word of warning, make sure you cover every inch of exposed skin or else it may not be as effective.

For the bites you can get many different pills and potions. When my eye swelled up (I put this down to a bite) I got anti-inflammatory eye cream and anti-histamine tablets to take the lump away. Pharmacies in Cairo are everywhere - in fact there is one right by IH Cairo ILI - and most will speak some English. I am assured that pharmacists are all well trained and qualified and certainly, on the rather too many times I have visited them (mainly for bites!), I have found them to be efficient and the treatments they give me effective.

I have also tried and tested a very simple method of cooling the red hot itchiness of bites. A simple method of running the affected area under ice cold should takes the swelling down almost immediately and means you don’t have to rely on chemical solutions all the time.

One piece of advice that stands to reasons is do not keep your windows open unless you have something absolutely sound and impenetrable across it to keep insects out. Most flats I have been in have wire mesh across the window and then a net curtain in front of this. Also, try to keep doors to bedrooms or bathrooms shut to stop them from getting inside.

Most of these tips are probably ones that everyone knows, but I saw a lot of forums  asking questions about mosquitoes when I was doing my research before I came to Egypt, so I thought I would try and compile all of the advice I have both read, and trialed since arriving.

I am sure that all of my advice above about cold weather and mosquitoes will change in just a few short months when the weather gets hotter; I have been informed that the heat is an experience like no other! Well, bring on the challenge I say! Anything to stop me shivering so much all day long!

Photography Competition and Christmas Number Three!

First for an announcement!

*** Calling all budding photographers ***

IH Cairo ILI invites students past and present to celebrate the diversity of Egypt by taking part in our photography exhibition. 

Find your best snapshots from around Egypt and submit up to 2 photos per category, choosing from:  People, Natural History, Heritage Sites, and Fun! 

YOU DECIDE!  All the photos will be put on our Facebook page - IHCairo International Language Institute, so that you, the public can ‘LIKE’  the best photos.  Your choices will then become the exhibition!

THE EXHIBITION!  The best ‘liked’ photos will be exhibited in ILI, and also at ElAlsson International School, so students, staff and the public will have a chance to see Egypt as you, our students, do!

THE FINALISTS!  We will be printing your photos big enough to look good, professionally displayed. The runners up in each category, plus an overall winner, will be chosen by a panel of judges, including the ILI’s very own artistic CEO (!) and Egyptian artist Mohamed Abla.

THE WINNERS!  Both the winning photo, and runners up, will join the ILI’s permanent collection of artwork, displayed around the school and in our residences.  So, join in and have your photos become part of us!

All runner-ups, and the overall winner, will have their images incorporated as part of the ILI’s permanent collection of artworks, installed in the ILI residences as well as around the school.  So, join in and have your photos become part of the furniture!

Entry Requirements

Please send submissions (up to 2 photo per category per person) to: marketing@ihcairo.com

Only past and present students of the college are allowed to enter but anyone is allowed to vote! Simply become  fan of the Facebook page and keep your eyes peeled for updates to the competition album.

Please provide us along with each photo: Your name/the category the photo is for/the location of the photo.

The minimum required size/quality of a picture is: 300dpi or 2MG

Closing date for submission: End March 2012

**Please note: Images will not be used for marketing purposes without gaining prior consent**

Now for the main blog.

This weekend was the third of my Christmas Days! Never has the phrase ‘all your Christmases come at once’ seemed so poignant!

After celebrating my (Western) Christmas in the desert and Egypt’s Christmas (New Year’s Eve) in a swanky hotel, Rami and I settled down for a low key celebration of the Orthodox Feast on Saturday 7^thJanuary.  

Lots of people, including myself before I started dating Rami, are probably only vaguely aware, or totally unaware that Christmas is on a different date for many Christians across the globe. It is like that because historically Copts follow a different calendar to the West. It may interest some to find out a little bit more about the difference between Western Christmas and Coptic Christmas. It certainly interested me, and I have already done a little bit of research on Coptic Christmas , parts of  which I used to write an article for IH Cairo ILI’s monthly newsletter. So this week I am going to be naughty and save a bit of time by utilising the cut and paste tool!

So, is Coptic Christmas very different to the Christmas that a vast majority of the students in IH Cairo ILI know and love? Well, after many years of British rule in Egypt along with a heavy influence of French and English missionaries who built churches, schools and hospitals; the celebrations are a real blend of Western and Eastern traditions.

Firstly I can say that the celebration is not exclusively called ‘Christmas’. Other names include ‘The Feast’ or ‘Eid’. Furthermore Coptic Christmas is certainly nowhere near as commercialised as the holiday in places such as the United Kingdom or America. The Christmas celebration is far more focused on ‘The True Meaning’, or religious foundations, of Christmas (Jesus’ birth and baptism as the Son of God) and a trip to the church for a long mass is one of the main activities of the Feast.

Admittedly for one reason or another none of Rami’s family except his brother made it to the church this year, so I will not yet be able to blog about Coptic mass. Perhaps it was for the best however; I hear that the men and women have to sit apart which would have left me in a very awkward situation with regards to protocol and generally following what was going on! I will one day take a trip to the church, to learn about this integral part of my boyfriend’s upbringing… but perhaps I will wait until I have made an English-speaking Coptic girl-friend to sit with!

The biggest difference apart from the date is that Coptic Christians will fast in the weeks leading up to the 7^th January. Fasting for Christians involves eating only vegetarian food such as bread, beans, vegetable, rice, pasta and also fish. They go to church ‘en masse’ on the night before Christmas and many will eat a meal which has meat in, to break the fast afterwards. We ate a rather tasty rabbit.

Many families will eat turkey on Christmas Day although this has derived from Western influence. Duck and chicken are also eaten in some households. I can safely say that on our Christmas Day I consumed what was by far the biggest turkey I have ever seen; a fine endorsement for home-rearing if ever there was one!

For those interested in the economics, I asked Rami’s mum how much the turkey, or ‘roomy’) رومى) had cost to buy alive and her 2kilo purchase was 200LE (£20). To buy one the same size but dead and prepared it costs in excess of 400LE (£40). Buying the turkey alive means that you have the chance to rear it how you like and feed it what you want, in the knowledge that it hasn’t been filled with chemicals or kept in a dark box and then exported from goodness knows where over goodness knows how long. As a result of feeding, our 2kilo bird ended up at 7kilos! I am not good at maths but I think this is a bargain!

Of course, if you chose this option you would have to have the stomach to be able to kill, pluck and prepare the meat prior to enjoying it. To be honest I would rather risk the chemicals and pay the extra than endure this! Call me squeemish but the thought of chasing some poor bird around the roof then chopping its head off and tearing it apart somehow taints the romantic and yes, sanitized, image I have of Christmas Day! It was bad enough when the poor bird that has been warbling around happily on my roof just feet above me since my arrival back in October, ended up being stored in my freezer in the lead up to the day! Still, if you are capable of doing so, a live bird adds a certain rustic feel to the celebration I suppose.

Just like those who celebrate on the 25^th, Coptic Christians adorn their houses with decorations including a Christmas tree and Nativity Scenes. In Western establishments carols are sung and the celebrations are far more akin to those of Western Christians. They exchange presents and of course, Santa arrived in Egypt along with the foreign occupants so children across the city find presents waiting for them on Christmas morning.

The actual celebrations over the weekend were very similar to what I am used to. I did lots of lazing around eating and watching funny movies (in Arabic, worse luck for me!). Rami’s brother and uncle cracked open the backgammon set whilst his other uncle enjoyed one too many beers! The difference was that with the vast majority of the city being Muslim, everything from cafes to shops and the cinema were still open and running as usual so Rami and I were able to escape the family household for a while and leave them to enjoy visits from guests whilst we went out and took in the nightlife – a bonus that doesn’t often happen in England because everything is shut all day!

I am fully ‘Christmasd’ out now, so next week I will resume writing about some of the more practical aspects of life in Cairo that students coming to IH Cairo ILI may be interested to hear about.

Enter your 'holiday snaps' in our competition - details above

Photo (C) Sarah Jeavons, August 2011

BCA Mohandeseen Clubhouse New Location

Whilst you are waiting for me to pen this week's blog entry, I thought I would share with you updated information about the BCA Mohandiseen's new Clubhouse. As promise I have recieved news of its new location:

The physical address is No. 29 El Rashid Street, Agouza (Mohandiseen) – A four story building with a large white gated entrance, the new clubhouse is located on the corner of El Rashid Street and Abdel Moneim El Saned Street.

Traveling away from Zamalek and towards Sudan Street through Sphinx Square (Agouza), there is a large Omar Effendi Department Store on the left and a Shell petrol station on the right. El Rashid Street is the first turning to the right after the petrol station and the intersection with Abdel Moneim El Saned Street is the second junction on the left. (Parking is in abundance in this area).

Until the landline is reconnected call 01281158964 for help when you get close and ask for directions in English or Arabic. This belongs to the Vice Chairman Peer Thomson.

This information is accurate as of January 8th 2012.

كل سنه و أنتوا طيبيين

... or ... Kulo Senna Wento Talibeen

... or ... Happy New Year Everyone!

It is hard to believe we have reached 2012 already! I hope that everyone has had a wonderful time celebrating the dawn of a New Year and is looking forward to the new opportunities that this year will bring! Obviously back in my home country, England, we have a few treats in store; Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee (60 years on the throne) and the 2012 Olympic Games to name but a couple. Here in Egypt the much anticipated presidential elections will be taking place, and so the chance for a new start and God willing a brighter future for the country.

My New Year celebrations were fantastically spontaneous and, as usually happens when plans are thrown together, I had a brilliant time. It has prompted me to write a few words about festive celebrations in Egypt at this time of year. The alternative was to write about one of my favourite complaints – the mosquitos!  I considered this option after spending the whole of last week looking like I had been punched in the eye as the whole area was inflamed due, most likely, to one of the little critters biting me. I decided that this is not a very festive topic so I will leave it alone for today; but I will broach the subject when the celebrations in Egypt have come to a close, because I can’t be the only one who was worried about the mosquitoes before travelling and searching the web for advice.

So back to lighter topics! Other blogs and forums may suggest that Egyptians do not celebrate Christmas. In terms of the Western festival I accept that this is true. Obviously with Muslims celebrating their feast ‘Eid’ earlier in the year and Christians celebrating their feast (loosely termed Christmas but not exclusively so) on January 7^th Christmas as I know it back in England, on December 25^th is practically non-existent (aside from in a very small circle of expats and venues geared towards tourism.) However, New Year’s Eve here is often called ‘Christmas’ so yes, I can confirm, contrary to popular belief and to my former understanding, Christmas is widely celebrated in Cairo!  Admittedly the troubles that the city has had over the last 12 months may have taken the edge off of proceedings this year, but general feedback from my friends and colleagues suggests that most people had a lovely evening out (or in) to change the mood and celebrate a new year and a new hope.

Generally out on the streets things carry on as normal although traffic is heavier, as with all major events. I also noticed that just like most Fridays (when half of the population of Cairo are using running water at once before going to the mosque or the church), my shower pressure plummeted and I couldn’t get hot water (I am slowly getting used to opportunistic shower taking!) Aside from these telltale signs, there was not much to report outside. The celebrations all happen in the bars, clubs and restaurants around town. Here the venues are decorated with Christmas trees, stockings, tinsel and life-size, gyrating Santa Claus figurines; enough to scar any child for life!

When deciding on our evening’s entertainment I checked a number of web pages, all which seemed fairly current and displayed a good choice of venues:

www.cairo360.com 

www.tazkarty.net 
 www.yallabina.com

Unfortunately I couldn’t find an exhaustive listing of all of the major events around the city and it is possibly better to rely on word of mouth or friends in the city for the best recommendations. For tourists I would honestly advise you to do something totally out of the ordinary for example an evening on a static or a moving Nile boat in El Maadi, or a visit to the desert (like my Christmas trip).

Four short stay tourists, prices for most parties around town are affordable with the exchange rate. Most celebrations seem to be within the region of 300 LE – 600 LE (£30 - £60). Living and working here we had a tighter budget so had to shop around. After finding out that our ‘Plan A’ was cancelled (whilst in the taxi en route to the venue!) Rami made a few calls and took me instead to a fantastic event at the Swiss Inn Hotel in Gamet El Dewal, El Mohandeseen – only about 10 minutes from IH Cairo ILI.

The entrance fee was 250LE and included a free glass  of pink champagne on arrival, a wonderful meze  style dinner, DJ, entertainment (a belly dancer) and goody bag (the contents of which I emptied onto myself immediately- see below).  The venue was simple yet smart and the music varied between Western and Egyptian modern and classics. It was a fun and modest way to bring in 2012. I sure with more money we could have celebrated like kings, however, for our budget the place was perfect and the service impeccable (a trait I have found common in a large amount of places across Egypt; they really know how to treat their guests). One reasonably strange addition to the proceedings that I was not so keen on was the rather strange choice of television channel on the large screen TV: In my opinion nothing says ‘Season’s Greetings’ better than apocalyptic thriller movie ‘2012’!

So all in all it was a very enjoyable way to see in the New Year and confirms that Egyptians certainly do know how to party! For those who are questioning the speculations I will confirm two things

1)      It is not illegal to drink alcohol in Egypt, as long as it is done in the correct places and not on the street.

2)      Dress is generally modest in and around Cairo and you shouldn’t wear short skirts or sleeveless tops but the rules are a bit more relaxed inside places such as hotels and clubs… So cover up whilst outside and strut your stuff when you get inside!

Next week I have the last of my Christmas celebrations as Rami’s family celebrate the Coptic Feast. I am looking forward to it tremendously but I am sure my Christmas dinner, which is currently getting fat on the roof above my head, is not so eager for its arrival!(I am sure a lot of vegetarians and animal rights activists will be appalled at this but I can assure you the birds have led a far nicer life up there in their little enclosure with space to stretch their legs, than half of the poor creatures that end up on the shelves of the supermarkets!)  I will bring you a full report of the event in my next blog but for now it’s time to start on my New Year’s Resolutions: find a gym, make some more expat friends and reach a point in my Arabic studies where I can hold an comprehensible conversation with Rami’s parents!

Perhaps the last is a little ambitious but I am hopeful. 2012 brings a new calendar of Arabic lessons at IH Cairo ILI and so with it the chance to continue my studies in earnest now that the festive celebrations are almost over and I am finally becoming used to this new life in a new country. Private tuition I have been taking at the college over the past month has allowed me to enter 2012 knowing the whole Arabic alphabet, so I can now unlock the secrets of the Arabic script which will help my study a great deal. Alphabet classes are actually offered free for ECA 1 students but in all the excitement of my move abroad and the start of my internship I simply neglected to take the course. My private classes continue to bring me ‘up to speed’ so when I rejoin normal lessons later in the year, and with some work and a lot of encouragement from the fantastic teachers, I should excel in no time at all.

I wish you all good luck in keeping your own resolutions and hope that we may see some of you here at International House Cairo ILI in 2012!

Happy New Year!